By Hank
Cheshire,
United Kingdom 
Toms just about finished.
Am I doing this the best way ? Every year after the toms have finished I'm left with about 18 plant pot size root balls.( picture of 5 of these below).
I usually let them dry out then take them onto one of my raised beds, stick a fork into each several times, give them a good shake to take off as much soil/compost as possible, that chuck the root balls into the green bin.
I've always thought there must be a better/ simpler way of doing this but is there.
I chucked the lot in the bin the first year I grew toms which made the bin too heavy and the binmen wouldn' t take it,
Which photo ( if either) is the right way up ?, first or second ?)
7 Sep, 2013
Answers
Seems like a good idea to me to reuse the soil. I Do this with annual plants growing in pots. At the end of the season I take as much soil off as I can, put it into a plastic bin and mix it with fresh compost for next seasons potted plants.
By the way, the top picture is the right way up.
7 Sep, 2013
Thanks guys, the wheelbarrow and the "revatalising" will be done this afternoon.
7 Sep, 2013
We just lay ours on the veg patch and over the winter they gradually break down into useable peat.
7 Sep, 2013
When re- using old compost one has to be very careful there are no vine weevil grubs in it
8 Sep, 2013
I haven't seen any vine weevil grubs for years I'm delighted to say.
11 Sep, 2013
I always re use tomato compost.
Instead of shaking it on your beds, shake off the compost into a wheelbarrow. Then revitalise it next spring with fertiliser, plenty of proprietary ones available.
Depending on what I'll be using it for, I add sterilised garden soil, or John Innes no 2, . You can even re use it for next years tomatoes.
7 Sep, 2013